From these examples of gentleness in the bible, we can picture a soft touch, calm reassurance, and a loving hand. In many languages, gentleness and meekness are equated with gentle speech. See 4236 (praotes).. For the believer, meekness (4240 /prats, "gentle-force") begins with the Lord's inspiration and finishes by His direction and . My heart is too hard to go in the spirit of meekness to visit the sister who I have offended or who has offended me (, More Heart to Heart: Godly Wisdom Woman To Woman. When we see it this way, we can begin to work toward becoming gentler. We will be kind, patient, and humble. But why is gentleness such an important virtue? Right here on Churchgist, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on examples of gentleness in the bible,meaning of gentleness, and so much more. Proverbs indicates that gentle words turn away wrath and are a tree of life (Proverbs 15:1,4). As Paul said, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ) We never know when our kindness will lead someone into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness isnt weakness; its not passive or submissive either. And how can you use gentleness to improve your relationships with others? We need to allow God to work in us so that we can be more like Jesus every day. Church leaders are admonished to be "not violent but gentle" toward persons under their care ( 1 Tim 3:3 ); it is a quality they are avidly to pursue ( 1 Tim 6:11 ). Fighting destroys relationships and takes so much time to repair. I'm too self-centered to stop and kiss my child's scraped knee. The fruit of the Spirit is essentially the character of Jesus. In the Greek version of the Old Testament, the LXX, the word prautes appears 12 times, and 11 times in the New Testament. Thank you for this devotion that I will pin, and print and place in my Gentleness devotional. In fact, it was his gentleness that allowed him to touch the hearts of so many people and change their lives forever. 5 Steps to Achieving the Fruit of Gentleness (or Meekness) that Leads to Blessedness. Consider others as important and worthy of kind regard. He went peacefully to His death because He knew it was the only way to save us from our sins. Gentleness is not a natural human trait it requires humility and self-control, two things that only come from God. So much of the peace and harmony we seek is directly affected by how we treat others. Now, it's not to say that, if things are not peaceful, then war won't exist. Harshness, meanness, or malice. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? But the reality is that war is more of a surface behaviour, something seen, rather than exposing the deeper things taking place inside. hardness. "We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children."1 Thessalonians 2:7 What is the opposite of gentleness? Gentleness is a soft answer, even when the words might hurt the recipient (Galatians 6:1). 6. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? I use sarcasm and snap back at my childrens remarks. It is the ability to be kind and loving even in the face of adversity. The disciple James also wrote that Christians should be gentle toward all men (James 1:27). It can also mean mildness and softness. So glad to hear it was encouraging to you it is extra challenging to be gentle when we feel like our needs are being intruded on. What Does the Bible say about Vegetarianism vs Meat eating | Eat Meat in the Bible, 9 Examples of Gentleness in the Bible | Gentle, The Fruit of Gentleness in the New Testament, The Power of Gentleness in Leading men To Christ, The Power of Gentleness with our Children, Final Thoughts Examples of Gentleness in the Bible, 140622eng-gotfruitseriespart5-gentlenessbyjocelyntan-140622233213-phpapp01, Use Google Church Grant For Your Church $10,000 / Month - God Bless Steve, Stuck on Sermon / Need Class Ideas / Outlines / Ask Ja, Copyright 1920-2023 Jesus Leadership Training. In the New Testament Jesus comes as the perfect example of being gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29). Gentleness Defined Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. It is amazing how ONE small act of kindness shown to our spouses can change the atmosphere of an entire day. Instead, let us show compassion on those around us by being gentle towards themespecially those who may not be as fortunate as ourselves. Gentleness is more than just being nice and kind and caring towards others; its actually the quality of God Himself who has been poured out into our hearts by His Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:5). We like to think that if Jesus were on earth today, hed be carrying around a whip. When we think of the life of Jesus, we often think of his miracles and his teachings. About 5 years ago, Robert Ringer wrote the book Looking Out For Number One. Gentleness is something Christians must learn. Galatians 5:22-25. attentiveness patience responsiveness tolerance willingness generosity personableness tenderness softness flexibility tenderheartedness niceness geniality understanding warmth amiability affability amiableness graciousness pleasantness kindliness benignity humaneness agreeability mercifulness manners kindheartedness thoughtfulness benevolence They are often areas where we carry deep wounds and trauma from our past. The bible verses are quoted below in the NIV version, but if you click the links, you can see the verse in other translations. The Bible tells us that God is gentle and loving and that we should imitate His character in our own lives. Gentle Like a Shepherd. Listen more than you speak or act (James 1:19). It was a failure, and he tore up a good deal of potential evidence. And how can you use gentleness to improve your relationships with others? Even in His rebuke, God restrains Himself and speaks with a gentle tone (1 Kings 19:12). 5:16, 22-23) . There is peace in our homes when nobody is arguing or fighting. The Bible is filled with examples of gentleness, both from God and from Jesus. of Gentleness is not just a nice thing to be; its a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is a value and quality in one's character. 2. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus takes upon himself this descriptor: I am gentle and lowly in heart., And when Jesus tells us what animates him most deeply, what is most true of himwhen he exposes the innermost recesses of his beingwhat we find there is: gentle and lowly. (Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly, 19). Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. There is also peace with God. Paul showed kindness and gentleness toward those who persecuted him (see Acts 23). But what does it mean to be gentle? Prautes describes a condition of mind and heartan internal attitudewhereas gentleness (mildness combined with tenderness) refers to actionsan external behavior. To have gentleness is to have a gentle spirit or nature about you. Empathy is acknowledging another persons point of view to understand their feelings. All rights reserved. Speak the truth but watch your tone so that the truth will be well received, however painful it may be. It's a way of life. Its the opposite of anger and harshness. His manner is not harsh or abrasive. It is important to remember that as Christians we are called to more than this. Believers ensnared by sin must be restored gently ( Gal 6:1 ). Consider how you talk to yourself. Gentleness is opposed to all forms of prideful anger: "quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility" ( 2 Corinthians 12:20 ). God himself spoke to Elijah as a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13). In this blog post, we will explore a few examples of gentleness from the Bible. True gentleness, however, is just the opposite. The fruit of the Spirit is essentially the character of Jesus. Talk to a trusted friend or counselor about the hurt youve experienced. When we follow Gods example of gentleness, we are displaying the character of Christ to a lost and dying world. However, God calls us to a higher standard. Other faithful followers found this to be true (Job 29:22, 2 Timothy 2:25). When we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. We should also work at controlling our tempers with grace, kindness, patience, forgiveness, love and respect for others. We need His help to be gentle! If you want to make the world a better place, start by being gentle with others. Churchgists.com covers prayers, spiritual meaning, bible verses and dreams interpretation. Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In addition, it is important to acknowledge the ways in which God is gentle with us. You can dramatize the king's voice, especially on the repetition of the young men's council. The opposite of temperance is self-indulgence. The Bible is full of examples of Gods character, and one of the most prominent traits is His gentleness. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ab522d57b5eb8560ccf33254c1125cdc" );document.getElementById("e218d56cc5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a298435548fac6131ddbee45a6669aa4" );document.getElementById("e218d56cc5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Instead, we gently express what we believe without being critical or judgmental. I am too busy to listen to my child's story. Its hard to extend grace when someone has offended us. In the New Testament, the word does not appear in the Gospels or Acts though it does appear in root form in Matthew 5:5 to describe Jesus. And it starts with being humble before God acknowledging that we need His help to change and grow and allowing Him to work through us by His Spirit to make us more like His Son. God provides many examples of gentleness in the bible, Jesus himself being the best model. To understand what gentleness looks like in practice, lets look at some examples from scripture: Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. What is gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit? God always speaks and acts in a gentle way. Fruit of The Spirit - Gentleness. Gentleness doesn't come naturally. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But more specifically we grow in gentleness by practicing it. We need His help to be gentle! Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. Its a quality of character. In the Bible, gentleness is a virtue that many people are encouraged to develop. This is similar to how Peter uses the word (1 Peter 3:16). There are two other types of peace. Its a way of dealing with people, yourself, and God. It looks like Jesus: kind and compassionate to those who are struggling, yet firm and clear-eyed when addressing sin; slow to anger and quick to forgive; always calm and collected even in the midst of chaos; patient with His disciples when they were constantly asking questions and getting things wrong; gentle with sinners but uncompromising on truth.